Erap birthday wish for GMA: Be accountable, transparent

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Joseph Estrada’s birthday wish for President Arroyo is for her to be accountable and transparent, even if it means allowing her Cabinet members to face congressional investigation on the scandal over the government’s national broadband network (NBN) deal.

Estrada told the Rotary Club of Makati West that Mrs. Arroyo, who turns 61 today, should face the consequences of her actions.

“She should instruct her Cabinet members to tell the truth before the Senate and House of Representatives,” Estrada said.

Estrada said he did not prevent any member of his Cabinet during his short presidency to testify before Congress, including in the botched impeachment trial against him at the Senate.

He said Mrs. Arroyo should have done the same and had the courage to tell the truth behind the allegations against her and face the consequences.

Estrada said Mrs. Arroyo should have particularly allowed her Cabinet officials to disclose all the details behind the $329-million NBN contract with China’s ZTE Corp. amid allegations of overpricing.

“The Arroyo administration must give in to the people’s clamor to tell the truth behind the anomalous ZTE-NBN deal which involves allegations of kickbacks and commissions,” Estrada said.

Estrada said that his wish for Mrs. Arroyo is “to be accountable and transparent, so that the clamor of the people for truth will once and for all end.”

“She has to face the consequences. I don’t think she will be all alone. She will be with her husband (Jose Miguel Arroyo),” Estrada said.

Estrada earlier asked Mrs. Arroyo to voluntarily step down and allow the peaceful resolution of the present political crisis in the country.

“The scourge of corruption continues today without letup. We discover anomaly after anomaly, scandal after scandal and exposé after exposé,” Estrada said. – Jose Rodel Clapano